Make It Real
by CannyMuse
Summary: Steve is determined to find out who has captured Kono's heart. When he does, what lengths will he go to win her for himself? Kono K. Steve M.
1. Chapter 1

Kono had tried making a joke of the whole thing. Steve saw nothing funny about it. He wanted to know who she was seeing. He knew it was none of his business. Was that supposed to deter him? Did tourists come to Hawaii to ski? They could though, at higher elevations. Steve's unspecified in-house love interest was keeping her new relationship on the traditional down-low, way down. It was really bugging him, his not knowing.

Who was the guy?

Did she really think that she could keep this new romance from him forever? Mostly everyone in her circle of friends were detectives. Was she serious? Grumbling, Steve stole another peek at her as she spoke on the phone in her office. Unconsciously, he began scowling, maligning the unseen rival on the other end. Did she have feelings for him, her unit's smitten commander? Steve was sorely unsure. How awkward if she felt nothing like the way he did about her. He'd have to do it, have to open up, show her a tenderer side of himself for her eyes only. An office romance, especially in their field, was not the best idea. Tricky came with the territory, but the more he had thought, the more he wanted one with Kono.

They could be discreet if that was what Kono wanted. Any way she wanted it, so did he.

She was off the phone now. Steve debated with himself. Should he call her in here? How exactly was he going to bring up the subject of who she was dating? Rolling his eyes, he shrugged. Maybe it was better to postpone having that conversation for the time being. If he fired up his nerve, he should ask her out...

"Hey, Boss."

He hadn't realized her there, now standing in the doorway of his office, interrupting his surreptitious thoughts that were all about her. His office suddenly felt two sizes too small. "Uh, Kono...yeah?"

Her eyes looked directly into his. He withered a fraction. Smiling she asked, "Do you need me for the next few hours?"

Was that a trick question? He would always need her, in every way imaginable. He looked at her with uncertainty. Clearing his throat, which felt all craggy, he replied, "What's up?"

She grinned. His eyes widened. Where had she learned to render him tongue-tied like this?

"Nothing much," she said. "I've been...well, a friend has invited me to a."

_It's amply clear that the rival wants to get with her and she doesn't know how to put whatever it is into words_. Steve waited a respectful length of time before he prompted, "A getting together." He had stammered a little; he duly noted the amused expresson on Kono's dimpled face.

He knew how it would sound, but he said it anyway. "Who's this 'getting together' with?"

Kono wouldn't meet his eyes then. She trod lightly. "A _friend_," she stressed, leaving gender out of it.

Thoughts of envy over this 'friend' she was keeping underwraps consumed him before her eyes. Taking stern hold of this jealous side of himself, he calmed down. His eyes burned into hers. "I hope you and this _friend_ of yours have a great time." His eyes that were filled with envy spoke the truth, his lips didn't. "If we catch a case, I'll text you."

Nodding, Kono, couldn't help the way she kept looking at him. She bore the brunt of the weirdness of his aneurysm face. Danny had Steve dead to rights; that look could drop an elephant at twenty paces. "Okay." She squinted at him, scratching her head. "Is everything all right, Steve?"

"Couldn't be better, Kono." He was a moment away from shooing her out, of his office, never his life.

"Well...okay then. I'll see you later."

"Right." Watching her go, he thought cockily, _I'll see you sooner than that, Kono. I'll see you, but you won't see me..._

Stalking wasn't solely for the obsessed. It was also for the hopelessly in love.

TBC...


	2. Chapter 2

"Where are you going?" Danny called from his office, seeing Steve ducking out. The former SEAL had a shady look in his eyes, the ex-cop from Jersey judged. He was looking tense, on edge. His aneurysm face was in full bloom.

"Out!"

"Just out? Out where?"

"To check on something."

"Want me to come with?"

"No." Steve mellowed his tone. "Thank you. I've got this." He stepped up his pace, leaving Danny in a big hurry. Kono already had a good headstart on him.

"No?" Danny echoed at Steve's disappearing form. He got up from his chair to witness the head honcho streaking to the exit. What was making him tear out of here like his pants were on fire?

Steve surveyed the sparsely-filled parking lot. He was careful, making sure that Kono didn't see him. He watched her just getting into her car. She must have stopped to talk with someone. Grateful, he silently thanked whoever that might have been. He had himself concealed in an alcove. She started her ride and pulled out. He counted to three, then sprinted to his truck. He would tail her with finesse coupled with ingenuity, keeping himself invisible to her keen eyes. If she caught him at this, what would he say? _Wow, Kono. What? You think I'm following you? Seriously?_

Kono was turning right. Steve was two cars away. Zealous for not losing her, he changed lanes and hung the right too. He ignored the angry horn blasts. With eyes peeled, he spied her slowing down for the next light. He slowed too, hanging way back. When the light changed and Kono started off, Steve cruised. This was too easy, he thought, seeing her then breeze through a yellow light. She had it, actually. He wouldn't write her up.

Looking apologetic, he ran the red light. Nothing had been coming. His eyes were trained on Kono's Chevy. She was such a savvy driver, so much like he was. _'Baby, You Can Drive My Car,'_ rippled in his mind, and he began humming the Beatles' classic. He would let her drive his car any day if she sat in his lap doing it. He grinned large at that wild notion. Having Kono squirming against him, between his legs, was better than harping on the lame joke some guy in Forensics had pulled.

The unknown 'genius' had made and circulated the absurd rumor that Kono had taught Charlie Fong everything there was to know about French kissing. It had spread like gangrene. The targets of the gossip had thought it was hilarious. Steve-not so much at all. Of course it wasn't true, but his green-eyed monster had wolfed the fabricated dirt down.

She and Charlie had history, that he knew. Kono was quick to volunteer to pay Fong visits when his expertise was needed. Maybe during one of her 'consultations' they may have rekindled an old flame that had never really gone out. They were older now, better able to see the maturity in the other. The only thing that Steve saw was some other guy muscling in on his secret crush.

Nearby Kapiolani Park, the largest public park, Kono parked and scooted from her car. The bounce in her step fascinated Steve. He pulled over immediately, then waited before parking not far from where she'd parked. Leaving his truck, he hid behind a nearby banyan tree, doing so inconspicuously, with his eyes pinned on her. She wasn't getting out of his sight. She was over by some brightly-dressed people, who looked as though they had just hopped off a plane. Her lips ruby red, a dark-haired woman wearing a yellow polka-dotted sundress and pink sunglasses was speaking to Kono, pointing on an unfolded map.

Not being sexist, Steve judged that his shapely Polynesian MMA-warrior princess would make an excellent tour hostess...that, or a peachy meteorologist on the Weather Channel. She was kind, congenial, had a nice touch with people. Kono was smiling and indicated by pointing in the direction where the colorful group should head. Steve smiled, loving the informal welcome she had extended to the visitors. While all this had gone on, he had unobtrusively gained ground on her.

Effortlessly, he transported himself to cloud nine, dreaming that Kono and he were more than just task force members. They were 'ohana,' sure, but so were Chin and Danny. Steve thought more along the lines of their being...

Suddenly, Kono wasn't alone anymore. She had company, very masculine company. Steve growled deep under his breath. He began tensing and flexing his jaw. The guy was tall, dark and, okay, he conceded, handsome, if you liked men that way. Obviously Kono did. By the verdant patch of _nau paka_, which they stood next to, she gave him the biggest hug. The guy tangled his hands in her hair.

Steve balled his hands into fists. Who was this guy whom Kono obviously felt comfortable with? By the way they acted with each other, their relationship couldn't have been that new. Catherine and he were in something, but Steve wasn't sure what it was. She was a strong woman too, maybe a little too strong. Showing a softer side of herself was something she wasn't comfortable doing. It was like she had failed if she let Steve know that she had one.

The rival was Japanese, Steve realized, and there was something vaguely familiar about him. He had seen that face before, but where? It bothered him. He should know.

In the midst of seeing red, mixed with flecks of green, Steve became aware that he was receiving a text message. It read: "Denning wants us in his office in an hour. Hightail it back here, Steven. X and O, Jersey..."

_The Governor_, Steve crabbed. _Great_. _Just great_._ Probably gonna tell us we suck. Again!_

He narrowed his eyes and waited to see what Kono and her mystery man did before reeling her in. They had their hands all over each other. Kono looked cuter than Steve could bear, poking her nose into the guy's shoulder, grinning like she couldn't stop. The guy touched Kono's body in ways Steve had only dreamed about. Disgruntled, he turned away, going back to his truck. In it, he texted her: "The Governor's office in 1 hour. See you there."

He saw Kono read his message and say what she did to the debonair rival. Steve made a face at him, then looked sadly at his feminine ideal with a wistful look in his eyes. Laying low, he watched her take off, not before she and the guy clinched very passionately.

There was ample time for Steve to glare at the guy because he hung around, checking his watch a few times, retrieving a rainbow-colored rubber ball for some running and jumping kids. This guy was rich; his clothes were well-tailored, fitting him perfectly. Steve's face was an entire scowl as he continued to burn holes in the rich son-of-a-

_Son_, Steve blanched. That was who he was. Kono's guy, and his crip, was Hiro Noshimuri's son. Steve stared like he had gone into a trance. Adam Noshimuri, the crown prince of the Yakuza, persona non grata right up there with Wo Fat, someone Kono had no business messing with, was patting a little girl on the head as the girl's twin brother tossed the ball his way.

Oh, God...

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

Denning droned on. Steve crossed his eyes several times, careful that the Governor didn't see. When he wasn't crossing his eyes, he was stealing wistful looks at Kono. Why was she involved with a man like Noshimuri? Alarms were going off in Steve's head. How had that man seduced his unsuspecting joy of paradise?

"So, McGarrett-"

Steve blinked. Denning was speaking to him, but in what context? Was he expected to answer him...with what? Not paying attention was practically stamped on Steve's clueless face. "Sir."

Denning's demeanor was hard-edged. "This circumstance won't be tolerated. Not on my watch!"

Steve gulped. This wasn't good. He was the leader of the unit. How did it look, his paying absolutely no attention to the state's chief executive? What was this discussion about?

"Sir-"

"Our government is putting a stop to this illegal, immoral trade. Hopefully, once and for all. If not, at least for a good long while." His eyes focused then on Kono and her compliant aspect, which brought a slight smile to his lips. _She's perfect for this undertaking_, he thought. _McGarrett over Williams for this one. Kelly's her relative, but I like the feel of a bi-cultural couple._

"At this time, I'd like to say that I volunteer, Sir." Danny jumped at the chance. Going undercover with Kono, posing as her husband. Oh, brother, what a set-up! It could be his chance to really get to know the willowy surfer girl lots better. Not to mention...maybe he'd get in some smooching, like the last time, while being paid.

_Danny volunteering? That's a first. For what?_ Steve was floored.

"No, Detective. I've made my decision. McGarrett and Kalakaua will go undercover."

"But, I just thought that since-"

"Detective Williams, I've made the decision," Denning trumped.

Steve was at a loss, but softly breathed a sigh of relief anyway. As far as he could tell, he wasn't being reprimanded for his inattention. He hadn't been found out. He smiled weakly at everyone in the room, wondering what was being discussed. He still had no clue. Mentally, he gave himself a reprimand. His inattentiveness was inexcusable, regardless of his dismay over Kono's known association with a solid crook in the wings.

Kono raised her hand, even fluttered her fingers a little. Perceptive gal that she was, especially when it came to reading the Boss, she asked, "Excuse me, Governor Denning, sir..."

"Yes Detective Kalakaua?"

"So, you're asking McGarrett and me to pose as a married couple to buy a baby from a broker to learn who, or what, is acting as orchestrator behind this multi-national Asian smuggling organization."

Denning smiled warmly at her, although the smile never quite made it into his eyes. "In a nutshell. Yes. From numerous sources, we've learned that this operation is based here. It has grown in scope and anonymity." The Governor's tone got very hard again. "In recent years, its operatives resort to the actual kidnapping of children primarily from Southeast Asia and Japan."

"Is Yakuza involvement suspected?"

"A clear connection has never been directly established," Denning informed with a blatant dirty look. "There's a suspicion. That's why you're being sent in."

Unable to help himself, although he was kind of ticked at her, Steve gave Kono a smile meant only for her. It was his way of saying, 'Thanks for having my back. Glad we're on the same wavelength.'

Kono winked at him and melted his heart. Thawing, he asked himself, how could he stay miffed with her, especially now. They were expected to pull off being hitched to each other, to save babies. If they weren't convincing, they, meaning _he_, would blow the op.

Steve winked right back and she smiled at him. She concluded that whatever had been going on with him might be attributed to his having eaten something that had turned his stomach. The stuff he ate was very weird, she often thought.

It was wonderful being called upon to take down this baby 'black market.' Crimes against children hit her pretty hard. They were innocent victims that needed protection, not exploitation. These were babies being snatched from their real parents. She bristled.

Just when she thought that their last case had been the worst villainy, they'd catch something like this. It seemed to her that crime was worsening every day, with no sign of letup.

Steve kept looking at her and Kono felt her heartbeats pick up. She really was looking forward to working undercover with the _Luna_, her unit's _ali'i lani_. The prospect wasn't just exciting. It would be a tremendous learning experience, just like all the others she'd had so far. She still considered herself a rookie, despite all the hardcore wealth of experience this job brought her each day.

There was still so much she needed to learn; McGarrett was a great teacher. On the job training with him was invaluable.

Denning scrutinized the team with a careful eye, as though weighing them up. "This covert operation begins tonight. McGarrett, Kalahaua, you're to check into the Hilton Hawaiian Village at six p.m." He handed them each a black plastic folder and told them not to open them until they had checked into the swanky hotel. He also handed the make-believe couple cell phones. "When you open the folders, you'll know what these are for.

"Detectives Williams and Kelly, along with several federal agents and plain clothes personnel from the HPD will be plants within the hotel. Kalahaua and McGarrett, from here, you are to go directly to the hotel. Whatever you need, you'll find in the room provided."

The four from Five-0 exchanged speculative looks among themselves. This initial briefing felt ominous.

As though anticipating the many pertinent questions the team looked ready to pose, the Governor routed their unvoiced queries. "Once Kalahaua and McGarrett enter their suite, the operation is in full swing. The instructions in those folders delineate the entire proceedings." He paused before asking, "Any questions?"

Danny and Chin still had a million, but they deferred.

Kono and Steve, not looking as mystified, shook their heads, indicating that they didn't.

"Kalahaua, McGarrett, dismissed."

The pair rose and left, which left Chin and Danny to ponder what their instructions would be.

Denning quickly took the bite out of their curiosity. This was to be an ultra-hush hush operation. It had to be; the stakes were too high. "Gentlemen, you are to report to the FBI's local office and await further briefing." The Governor paused a beat before going behind his desk to seat himself.

"Uh, Sir..."

"Yes, Detective Kelly?"

"What if the Yakuza are intimately involved?" His brow furrowed with his contemplation of that distinct possibility. Kono's safety was uppermost in his mind, although he knew that unquestionably, Steve would never let anything happen to her. He'd die keeping her safe. Chin had seen that too many times in their commander's eyes.

"If they are, their days for such involvement are numbered," Denning assured with a consummate air of authoritativeness. "Gentlemen, you have your orders."

Chin and Danny nodded in unison, rose from their respective chairs and left. Outside Denning's office, Danny said, "Congratulations. How's it feel having super SEAL in the family?"

Kelly's grin was half-hearted. "Risky..."


	4. Chapter 4

I know this took me a while to get this up, but here is the next chapter. Sorry for the long break. Stuff happens, ya know... Hope it's okay. Many thanks for all the reviews thus far!

* * *

It was a shade past six in the evening. The air felt balmy this high up, this far above the concentration of humidity below. The sky was a darkening light azure. The 'Morrisseys,' Lani and Tucker, were present and accounted for in their hotel suite. Their accommodations were lavish, maybe a tad too for why they were there. It felt like being plunked in an airy oasis. Kono was all for enjoying herself while luxuriating in such swanky surroundings was here for the taking.

But, first things first.

Her folder was open. While she lounged on the couch, lazily running fingers through her hair, she perused time-sensitive information. It was straightforward, nothing stood out as being convoluted.

"So...at nine in the morning we're supposed to meet with this..." Kalakaua paused long enough to dramatically raise an eyebrow. "Miz Zarkata Luna. If that's her real name, " Kono muttered.

Every few moments, Steve habitually glanced over at her as he read what was in his folder. Basically the information was identical with Kono's. His gazes were punctuated with little smiles he kept giving her. Under different circumstances, being here with her like this would have been ideal. As it was, they were expected to gain the confidence of slippery persons who felt that they were above the law and were at large. Thinking along those lines made ambiguity a bedfellow. Bringing said slippery persons down, however, bolstered their confidence, that being the objective.

When Kono looked over at Steve, they both smiled, she looking more amused than he. His eyes were soft and looked thoughtful. However way, or whatever way she was connected with Noshimuri, he shunted to the side. It would get sorted out later. They were here to do this important job and they were professionals.

"Lani."

"Tucker."

Together they snickered. Then, they got serious again, analyzing their instructions at length. The phones they had been given were direct tie-ins to Denning.

When they'd been at the analysis for a good hour, Kono rose from the elegant sofa, lifted her arms overhead and stretched like a cat. She didn't yawn since she wasn't sleepy.

Steve regarded her considerately. "Hungry?"

"I could eat," she playfully tossed at him.

He reached for the house phone that was conveniently near him. Before using it he inquired of her, "What are you in the mood for? Me...anything. It's on the State's dime."

Nodding with an outgoing smile, Kono accepted what was officially true. "What are you in the mood for?"

_What a loaded question_, raced through his mind. _Jumping into the Jacuzzi for starters...modest attire, optional_.

Steve grinned with crisp laughter. "I asked you first."

"Okay."

Kono gave him a wink that made his heart lurch before it crashed against his ribcage. Her dimples were making mush out of the resentment he felt, which colored his mood, because she was seeing Adam Noshimuri. Steve wanted to believe that the Yakuza's up-and-coming kingpin really had her fooled.

"Ginger-glazed short ribs," she verbalized. "And whatever else comes with that. Oh! And a snow pea and tomato salad with sesame vinaigrette."

"I'll make that two." He waited for the voice on the other end of the house phone to come on the line.

Kono kept smiling as the playfulness in his eyes sparked brighter. "Don't forget the Longboards." She could already taste the smooth, refreshing lager with its mild floral hops flavor. Then an, "Oops," exploded from her and she rushed in with, "Technically, we're on duty, so... Forget the brews."

Steve didn't agree. "We've got until tomorrow morning and then we're back on."

"So, you're saying that in this room, we're off-duty."

He liked the way she had said that. "I say we drink up." Expertly, he arched, "It's just one beer. We don't plan on getting drunk, do we?" Wherever he could, he liked using that word 'we' when referring to her and himself as a team.

Kono indicated that overindulging wasn't on the menu by shaking her head. She wasn't in the habit of drinking too much anyway.

"Good," Steve spoke into the phone and hung up. "It'll be about forty-five minutes."

"Not bad." Though she was starving, she made as though having to wait that long was not a big deal. Her eyes roamed the room, settling upon whatever momentarily caught her attention. Then her vision would move on to something else. It kept going until her eyes alighted on the Jacuzzi for a second time and they stayed trained on it. Sounding a bit absentminded, she remarked, "What do you think? Enough time for sitting in bubbling hot water till the food comes?"

_I swear she can read my mind_... _Impeccable timing_.

Sighing, Steve threw her a very sweet smile before answering. "I like where your head's at."

Kono went straight for the closet. The time had come for her to do some investigation of a more personal kind. She was dying to find out what their wardrobe was like. Throwing open the walk-in's door, she exclaimed, "They certainly want us to look the part."

Steve had to agree, unanimously. He whistled. The his and hers clothes were strictly designer labels from the ties for him down to the shoes for her. Before opening the closet's door, Kono had doubted that bathing attire had been provided, but she was wrong. Appropriate suits, modest in nature for a woman, were hanging on padded hangers. Steve pulled open a drawer close to the women's suits and found trunks that would fit him. He really liked the navy blue drawstring ones he was holding.

While he envisioned Kono wearing the black maillot she had taken off the hanger and was holding in front of herself, his throat went dry. No, it wasn't a bikini by any stretch of the imagination, but she looked 'knock it out of the park' whatever she wore. Besides, he had already seen her in a bikini that first day they'd been introduced. That image was safely tucked away in his memory, filed under freakin' fabulous.

"Race ya."

Kono streaked for the bathroom with her faded green tank top half hanging off. Steve made sure he got a fleeting look. He changed into the trunks while standing beside the Jacuzzi. Once he wore them, he fired up the hot tub of generated swirling bubbles. As he stared at the agitated water, he felt wistful, wishing for the Longboards being on hand. When Kono emerged from the bathroom, Steve forgot all about beer. The rookie was a bronze goddess, with her silky dark hair piled high atop her head. From somewhere, she had found a delicate white flower to nestle in her hair. His seeing her like this nudged him that she was Hawaii if this paradise were incarnate.

The suit's plunging neckline fell a tad short of modest enough, suiting him. He tried not to whistle, but he soft of failed. Especially when Kono turned her back to him to check how well the flower sat in her hair in a nearby window and unwittingly treated Steve to a lovely view of her bare back. He sighed heavily.

Kono blushed as she watched him get settled in the Jacuzzi. "Too hot?"

_Just wait till you're in this fancy cauldron with me_...

"Get in here and find out."

There was a definite bite to that invitation, Kono marveled. He was her boss after all, and maybe if they weren't in a working relationship they might have had one. But Adam had come along, quite by unforeseen circumstances and timing, and now they were into something exciting. She knew who he was, but each time they were together, Adam showed her different, intriguing sides of himself. He was the younger face of the Yakuza, but that wasn't all he was. Beneath the questionable reputation, a loving man of honor struggled to rise above the stigma.

Could he ever leave the crime syndicate whose tentacles reached into many illegalities? Kono went trancelike, pondering that burning question.

"Don't tell me you're susceptible to the power of the whirling bubbles?"

Kono snapped out of her self-imposed catatonia while posing on the cozy tub's lip and swung her legs over to slowly slide herself down into the bubbly churning. "I'm susceptible to total relaxation after a grueling case. And now here we are...involved in an undercover assignment-"

"Which could be-sorry to cut you off-but could be us making one of the biggest busts of our careers. Kind of heady, huh? That feather in your cap will look great..." He hesitated before deciding to use a newer nickname he had tentatively begun calling her. "_Koa_."

She gave him a penetrating stare, feeling all kinds of honored, and something a little more, well not exactly fraternal. More and more, it seemed as though he couldn't stop calling her, 'soldier.' She liked hearing him call her that. She tried so hard to be every bit as tough and gung-ho as her teammates with lots of testosterone were. Yet, Kono came off like that with an ilk of femininity Steve had rarely seen in women who made the military or police work their careers.

"Thanks, Boss. It's a privilege being in _your_ army."

With his voice sounding thicker than it had earlier, he confessed, "And thank you for consistently bringing your gutsiness and your smarts to the table. The unit would not be even half as effective if you weren't part of this team."

It had gotten a good deal warmer in this area of the suite and the Jacuzzi's toasty water temperature wasn't the sole reason. Smiling at her from across the tub, Steve picked himself up to eliminate the distance Kono had created between herself and him.

Her wet, brown knee closest to him begged for him to pat it. He did, several times, but it didn't stop there. He began stroking the entire length of her sinewy, firm leg. The huskiness in his deep voice was like soft music to her ears. "I don't know what I'd do without you...Kono."

Her eyes got very large as her breathing became labored. He seemed to be making it more than just commendation for jobs well done. He was still caressing her leg. She was about to say something borderline discretionary when one of the phones that the Governor had given them rang; it was the one for Steve's use.

In a fluid motion, he got out of the Jacuzzi, snatched up a towel conveniently close and answered the call.

"Yes." He listened for what seemed an eternity.

Kono supported herself upon her elbows against the side of the tub. She read his expression, the hard line of his jaw, the deep frown that had become etched in his face, the tautening of his lips. His laid-back mood was gone, replaced by agitation.

"Sir. Yes. I understand. We'll report to you immediately." When the mostly one-sided conversation with Denning was over, Steve dragged his eyes to Kono, but remained silent for a time.

"What? What is it? What's happened?"

Tersely, Steve answered, "The ops been suspended." He took it upon himself to tack on, "Temporarily."

"Suspended? Why?"

His expansive sigh filled the suite. He tried putting it as delicately as he could. "It's been learned that Adam Noshimuri has deep ties with this ring. He would have been at the meeting with Luna."

Kono's eyes went dead.

What Steve said next was like having his heart ripped out with jagged hooks. "They know, Kono...about your involvement with him, which compromises this entire investigation. Soon as we walked in, your cover and mine would have been blown. And Noshimuri would know he's under criminal investigation, along with the entire set-up."

Kono looked as though she had just gone several rounds in a cage fight. She hauled herself out of the Jacuzzi. "Adam's mixed up in _this_?"

"C'mon, we'd better get dressed. Denning's demanding we see him now."

Kono shut her eyes, feeling Steve's boring into hers. Getting worked by heavy pipeline surf was preferable to having her boss' palpable disappointment put her through the ringer the way she felt it was as they dressed in silence and bolted from the suite.

Not a word was spoken all during the drive to the Governor's office. It was no supposition. Plainly, Kono perceived how sorely she had fazed the ex-Navy SEAL.

When they arrived, Denning was waiting for them with a look of 'no hour was too late when official business took precedence.'

Once he instructed them to take seats, the Governor turned his hard eyes on Kono. "Detective Kalahaua, just how deep does your involvement with Mister Noshimuri go?"

Having gone as pale as her coloring allowed, Kono blinked back tears, stubbornly refusing to have them fall.

"Sir," McGarrett interposed, "would you mind if I spoke with my detective alone? We'd both seriously appreciate it. "

Clearly, Denning didn't favor his idea, but he allowed it, leaving them alone once he had shut the door behind himself. In the little room connected to his office, he got water from the cooler and drank it down in one gulp.

"Kono..."

She looked at Steve, looking as crestfallen as the day had been long. "I know, I know. I should have told you that I was seeing him. I was going to."

"And then we caught this assignment." He wore that underlying look of being disappointed again. "Is it serious with you and him?"

"Adam's not what you think he is."

Steve tried not crossing his eyes. "Is that a yes?"

Kono felt as if all of this was happening in a dream. Her bottom lip trembled and she looked down into her lap. "I...don't...know."


	5. Chapter 5

More of the tale... Please enjoy, and thanks so much for the readership!

* * *

Steve grasped Kono's hand. He had it out there like a lifeline. With great effort, he stopped short of cradling it. Kono sighed, her face still down. Steve held her hands with both hands now and he cosseted them. She looked up at him then. He could see that she was awash in ravelment. He wanted nothing more than to get her out of Denning's office with her dignity intact. This wasn't the time, nor place, to dissect her love life.

Give him a little time, and he'd do it, ever so gently...

Kono managed a tentative smile; she played it cool, not cold. "I met him at party a friend of mine gave. I had no idea who he was until he told me on our first official date." She pursed her lips, her gaze never wavering from the intensity of Steve's eyes. "I could have told him right from the start that it would never work between us." She dragged her eyes from his face. "But I didn't. I let it go on, because...I started having feelings for him."

Steve's heart kept beating, its rhythm steady and strong.

"He knows what you do for a living? That you're Five-0?"

Kono shook her head. Her voluminous hair, now loose, fanned away from her face. "No. I never told him."

"Smart girl. No sexism implied."

"I'm a delusional girl..." _What had I been thinking_?_ Hell, thinking? Seriously? More like mooning over a guy who talks sweet, smells like it too and makes me laugh._

Before Steve could say more, Denning re-entered his office. "This is how we're going to handle this situation, McGar-" The Governor marked his subordinates well. The head of the task force hadn't been swift enough. Kalakaua had been leaning a little too intimately into her leader. Denning had read their body language and the speculation it aroused in him wasn't the stuff that built confidence, more like dissatisfaction. McGarrett had been on bended knee before the female detective, his attitude exuding tenderness. Was that proper for someone in McGarrett's position to assume?

Kono's eyes drifted closed.

Steve cleared his throat as he re-took his seat.

Denning tried again, forcibly taking his mind off his personnel's possible lapse of good judgment. "Plainclothes-woman Alana Kealoha from HPD will replace Detective Kalakaua. The operation is back on. McGarrett, Officer Kealoha is in the same suite you and Kalakaua vacated. You are to return to the hotel immediately. All emplacements are as they were before this discovery. The meeting with Luna goes on as planned."

Steve watched as the expression on Denning's face indicated their dismissal. But, as they rose to leave, he singled out Kono. His eyes were obdurate. "Detective Kalakaua, you are suspended from Five-0, with pay, pending this investigation."

A gasp escaped from Kono.

Steve came thundering back into the office. He looked like the proverbial bull in a china shop, hair-trigger ready to wreak havoc. "Sir-you can't! Kono didn't know-"

Hers eyes locked with his and his eyes narrowed. The Governor had no right doing this. His unit was always being messed with and he would not stand for it-enough was enough-regardless of Denning's being the acting Governor and Five-0's survival was dependent upon his say-so.

"Whatever the detective did, or did not know is irrelevant. My only concern is the integrity of this operation's non-compromisation." Denning's tone brooked no continuance of this discussion. "You have your orders, Commander..."

The wind had certainly been taken out of somebody's sails...

Following out behind his humiliated colleague, Steve was a study of what deep scowling entailed. He felt emasculated by the inept powers that be. Livid, too hot under the collar to form words properly, he kept going.

Kono turned around and waited for him to stand beside her. Only then did he stop.

Once they stood outside the gubernatorial confines, he finally spoke, expletives first, then less inflammatory words. "Don't sweat any of this, Kono. I swear-"

"I made the wrong call. It was so not bright of me."

"A lapse in good judgment...happens to the best of us."

She was tongue-tied then. She should have overrode her emotions and hormones. Was Adam worth risking her career and the trust of the men she fought with for?

"I seem to be having too many lapses."

_You have no idea the species of lapse I'd love having with you, Rookie..._

They kept walking until they stood at Steve's truck. There were only two vehicles in the lot, his and a CRV. Steve had suggested that they use his ride to come to the hotel in. Kono had driven her car from headquarters and was parked in front of her house where he had wanted her to leave it.

"Get in," Steve told her while thinking about Officer Kealoha, who waited for him at the deluxe hotel suite. He didn't know her all that well, but the light brown-haired, five-year veteran had a solid rep as an inventive cop. It was probably why she'd been selected for this assignment at the last minute. "I'm taking you home, first."

"The hell you are, McGarrett," Kono spewed, sounding royally pissed.

"The hell I _am_!"

"I'm a security risk. Not a cripple. A mental midget, maybe." She stood glaring at him with her hands on her practically non-extant hips. "I'm certainly capable of getting home by myself."

"Sure you are." He smiled at her, but it wasn't sweetly. "That's an order, Kono. Now-get into the truck!"

"Y'know, when you pull that 'that's an order' crap. You're not playing fair."

"'Playing fair?'" Steve sniffed and rolled his eyes. "Who says I play fair? You work with Danno right? Ask him. I'm the boss; I don't have to."

She sounded coy when she said, "Technically, I'm suspended, so-"

"You're suspended with _pay_. Don't get cute with me, Kono." He was behind the wheel. "I'm not...asking...again."

He didn't need to 'ask' her twice. The, 'or else' look was ingrained in his face. Shutting the door, Kono glanced at the building they'd just left.

"I guess Five-0 and the Yakuza don't mix," she said with a sigh, only half joking. For the most part, her tone had been bitter.

_But, you do, sweetheart. We're in this together. Never forget that. I don't see it any other way._ _One hurdle at a time...it'll be all right. I can make you forget you even knew Mister Yakuza..._

He headed the truck down Beretania Street, turned right and stopped for a light. Oahu seemed to pulse tonight. He had a job to do, but if it were up to him, he would drive them down to a beach to listen to the ocean rise and fall. He craved more alone time with her, especially now. They really needed to have that long talk.

"We'll speak about it later, as in after this operation is behind us," he lulled.

On the way, Steve also promised that he would keep her informed about every phase of the current op. He trusted her with his life. Trusting her with the details of this assignment wasn't even an issue. It was close to eleven thirty p.m. when Steve eased the truck up behind her car, which was in front of her door.

Kono got out and stood by the truck for a few moments.

Steve shifted himself over and close to the passenger side window and promised, "I'll be in touch."

She nodded, then turned to walk away.

Steve stuck his head out of the window. He didn't like how sad she looked. Pulling her into his arms was a real possibility if he didn't talk himself out of it harder.

"You don't have a thing to blame yourself for-so don't! Our jobs're tricky. So're emotions and where they lead us. These're small islands. Whatever decision you make, I stand behind it. Just 'cause I'm the boss doesn't authorize my telling you who to...uh." He frowned; using the word spooked him. "Uh, well, uh...love."

Kono halted her sleepwalk to her door. Slowly, she wheeled around, looking perplexed. "I never said I _loved_ the guy. He likes me. He's growing on me, sort of-but, _love_? Whoa, slow down. I'm still getting to know him, brah."

Steve's heart did a little happy dance. Maybe he'd get his chance to nip that inclination in the bud. Their talk, of necessity, would be a delicate one. What were the chances of his falling out of love with her between now and when they had that talk?

_Not good_...

"Go in. Get some rest." He was shooing her away with his eyes.

"Like I'm tired?" Kono cracked a smile in spite of her dour mood. "Oh, yeah...we were doing some pretty strenuous relaxing in that Jacuzzi. I forgot."

Steve grinned then. "Add pro lounger in addition to your being a pro surfer."

She swatted air at him and turned for her house.

"I'll call."

Not looking around, she replied, "I know you will. Go-take 'em down, Boss!"

"They're history..."

"Say hello to Alana for me."

"You got it."

On the front steps of her house, Kono paused to watch him pull off. He was such a good man, she thought. She hoped that Catherine Rollins realized that. Kono also didn't hesitate to think that good men like McGarrett were stubborn, seeing things only the way they saw them. She wondered, and it wasn't the first time, what he really thought of her-especially now. He was supportive, almost to a fault, but she had seen the disappointment in his eyes having learned of her involvement with Adam Noshimuri.

She went to unlock the door, finding it, to her alarm, unlocked. With gun now in hand, and taking a deep breath, she crept inside her home. Her eyes searched the darkness, her ears anticipatory for any stray sound. It wasn't until she made another move when a shadow separated itself from the darkness. Kono had it targeted, her hands steady. Her eye keen.

"Who are you? Don't take another step. Your only warning. I will shoot."

The shadow chuckled, the sound rich, deep and familiar.

"What the he-" Kono was shocked. He must have driven another car. She sure hadn't seen it.

Adam Noshimuri came into better visibility made possible by the light coming from the street when it fell across him. "Uh, surprise?" He slowly lowered his hands; he had raised them automatically, having seen her weapon. "I thought I'd surprise you..."

"I could have killed you! What are you doing here?"

"Waiting for you. I wanted to spend the night."

Kono frowned; he was throwing her for a loop. "How much have you had to drink?"

"Uh...your door was unlocked. Don't you check it before you leave?"

"I get careless sometimes. A lot on my mind." She had mumbled her way through those statements. He was assuming too much. Their relationship was far from being that far along.

Noshimuri shifted gears. "Did I come at a bad time?"

"All things considered, yeah. You did. I was gonna make myself something to eat. Shower, then crawl into bed. It's been a long day."

"Two can do that as easily as one."

Kono turned on a light. "Not tonight, okay?"

"But, soon, yeah?"

The young detective's shrug went unnoticed by her awaiting lover. "Could we talk about this tomorrow?"

"Over lunch? A late lunch."

She nodded, not looking all that sold.

"Who dropped you off just now?"

Immediately, Kono thought of Steve and her words weren't forthcoming.

"A friend from work?"

From outside came the bark of a neighbor's dog. Another bark from a different neighbor's dog swiftly followed.

"Uh huh," Kono told Adam.

"A guy."

"A _co-worker_. If I wanted a third-degree, I would march myself down to the police station and demand to be put under hot lights."

"Touchy, aren't we, Cuddles?"

"No. Just tired." She was standing by the door and opened it. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Adam took the hint. Before he left he made sure he hugged her waist and kissed her soundly. He tried making more out of the mouth-to-mouth contact, but Kono put him off.

"Night," she leveraged, and had sounded aloof on purpose.

Adam turned up the jacket's collar of his tailor-made suit. "Brrr... Never knew Hawaii to get so chilly. Climate change is a bitc-"

"See ya."

She closed her door on him, made sure the door was locked and trudged off. Turning out the light, Kono agonized over the operation's success, wishing her choice of boyfriend hadn't been the cause of her missing out on the unit's role it was designated to play.

When she told Adam what her livelihood was, how would he take it?

_Five-0 and the Yakuza don't mix_, she reminded herself. Sighing, she sought some sustenance, protein and starchy in nature, from her kitchen. As she sat chewing her bulky sandwich, she thought, _There isn't going to be any lunch date, Adam. They're moving on you; you're going down. I, involved with a man who profits from the lives of helpless, innocent babies? Never in a million years..._

When she opened her eyes, her phone sounded off. She smiled when she saw who it was.

"Danny..."

He had heard and had called to tell her to keep her chin up-way up.

"Thanks. I will. Where are you now?"

He was posing as a humble busboy, about to deliver food to the Big Kahuna's room.

Kono thought about the meals Steve and she had ordered before they had been rolled back.

Danny told her to 'chill' and that she'd be back with them once Super SEAL sicced everyone and anyone responsible for her suspension.

When Kono thanked him for calling and hung up, she sipped from a half-filled Longboard bottle. Finishing up the lager, much of her edge having been taken off, she went to her bedroom to sprawl out on her bed. Showering was superfluous; she had 'Jacuzzied.'

The barking dog sounded miles away as her eyes finally closed and she drifted off.

A bit later, Chin called. He had spoken with Steve and Danny. Kono never spoke with him. By that time, she was fast asleep.

* * *

TBC... Many thanks for the reviews and constructive sentiments! 3


	6. Chapter 6

The ringing of her mobile phone dragged Kono from her slumber. It was a wrenching process, which involved peeping one eye open, then her other. She wasn't sure if she liked being awake. She closed her eyes. The phone was insistent, almost as if it were a living thing being a bully. She got up from her bed and went to answer it, complaining as she went.

It was a little after eight o'clock in the morning. If felt more like it was two a.m. into the next morning. She felt as though she had patronized half the bars on Oahu last night. Her head was a winner of a throbber right now.

When she read who it was off her phone's screen, she cringed involuntarily. What did _he_ want? She un-bunched her shoulders. Doing the same for her mind wasn't half as easy. Before she answered the caller, she noticed that she had received another message. She guessed it was from Chin.

"Hey..."

"Hello, Sweetheart. We're still on for lunch, right?"

Kono rolled her eyes. He was the biggest reason why her head hurt this much. She had worried about him before falling asleep. She was close to certain that she'd dreamt about him, not a good dream. Snatches of what had slithered through her sub-conscious were on the edge of her memory.

Kono just stared into space before replying.

"Uh, yeah. Sure. What time?"

She had made it have a very frosty bite to it.

"Any time you say after twelve." He hesitated; she usually was so mellow. "Did I do something?"

Kono shuffled back over to her bed and flounced down on it. "Nope. Not a thing, _Adam_." Her vision was glued to the flat-painted ceiling of her bedroom that was a Shangri-la of pastels.

"Uh...then why the Arctic treatment, Hun?"

Kono winced again. His shortened use of the term of endearment had lanced her. True, she was handling herself and this situation poorly. She really hoped that he would be able to keep the lunch date. If he was stung by the operation, she wouldn't be seeing him for a long time. She wondered if she would want to visit him in prison.

A crease had formed between Kono's eyes on her furrowed forehead. She breathed in the stillness of the air.

"I just woke up."

"Oh, no. Sorry, Love, that I woke you."

"No-you didn't. I went to bed upset last night."

"That's not good."

"You're telling me."

"I'll make it up to you at lunch. Promise." Adam hedged before saying, "It wasn't because of me, was it?"

"What?"

"Your going to bed upset..."

Kono softly sighed. "Why would you think that?"

"Oh...don't know...just maybe the way I came on pretty strong last night."

"No. That's not it. I'll tell you about it...later."

"'Cause, I apologize for pressuring you. It's not my style, Kono. But, it's only that...you're...the only woman in a long while that I don't have to pretend with. You're real and special and I..."

"Not over the phone, Adam, okay?"

Her heart shilly-shallied.

It wasn't a matter of second guessing. She was ninety-nine point nine percent certain that he was going to say he loved her. Everything in her urged that she not have him tell her that-not now. It was all a little too poignant for her to handle coherently.

"You're right," he agreed. "In person makes it mean much more. I'll save it for later when I see you."

She really hoped that she would see him, if he wasn't nabbed by Five-0, the HPD, the FBI and whoever else was involved in this covert circle of apprehension. If he didn't show for the meeting with the front woman and Steve and Alana, then lunch would be possible. Only thing, what would it look like if she were seen by anyone in law enforcement, eating with Noshimuri? She had never given that much thought before, but now she was. The look on Steve's face materialized from memory. She was off the team for a second time until things got cleared up, she hoped. Despite Danny's prophetic words that he had uttered to bolster her, she had let their battle-tested leader down.

Why did it feel like this was the second time? There really had not been a first time. In the Fryer-Delano collusion, she had been recruited because she had been well-suited to act the part of a disgruntled cop. The fact that she was pretty and sexy hadn't hurt either. Unknown to her, at the time, she had had those crooked, disenfranchised men eating out of the palm of her tense hand. Every time she had slunk by them in those tight, short, black dresses, their tongues had wagged, their eyes agog, which was why she had managed to pull the wool over them and their cocky heads.

This time, being divorced from Five-0 felt worse because she had made the decision to get involved with a man who worked at cross-purposes with what she did with her life.

Adam was one of the 'bad guys.'

She went gloomy, mulling that over and swallowing the lump in her throat wasn't easy at all.

She fought for truth, justice and Hawaii being just a little safer for everyday people like the ones whom she loved, would lay down her life for. If Adam didn't see things that way, then what was she doing with him?

Sure, it felt nice having a good-looking man pay her extra special attention, make a fuss over every seemingly insignificant thing she did, or just call her up to ask her what kind of day she had. She realized, though, that what the nice looking, suave man _did_ when she wasn't with him, who asked, was even more important. She wasn't an impressionable, surfing schoolgirl any more. She was a streetwise cop, who took her job as seriously as she did the _kai_. If you didn't know how to read it with all the rightness it demanded, one of its majestic, towering waves or its tides could kill you.

Her job was no different. It wasn't fun and games. People got killed, their lives, and the lives of those they loved, and who loved them, were destroyed when sloppy decisions were made. She had made an error in judgment and had downplayed what getting involved with Adam really meant. Making excuses didn't cut it. When the sun set at the end of the day, Adam was still Hiro's son. She had convinced herself that he was nothing like his father because that's what she wanted to believe.

She really did not know him well enough to vow that he was nothing like his slain father. And, in light of this current revelation, his being mixed up with Black Market babies, she was forced to stop and think. What good did it do, going solely on one's feelings? More times than not, feelings bought a person nothing but trouble.

The light at the end of this tunnel flickered...

"Okay, Kono. Can't wait to see you later. You're not working today?"

"Uh, no. I got the day off."

She felt her stomach clench. She should have been in the thick of taking this insidious ring down. Instead, she was still making nice to its dreamy eyes czar. A cold, numbing sensation crept down her spine. She thought little of herself then.

"Great! I'll come by to pick you up, say a little after noon. I have a meeting this morning. Wear something perky, per usual."

Kono stopped listening after hearing, 'meeting.' Briefly, she had a fleeting vision of Alana and Steve in the same room with him. Closing her eyes, which burned behind her eyelids, she pressed her lower lip down with her upper lip.

"If I'm running a little late, don't think I'm canceling. Unless I call."

_You'll be making that **one** call to your lawyer. Not me..._

"'Bye, Kono. Pick the place you'd like to have lunch. You always make the right choice." Adam ended the call.

She was positive. Just like that, she knew that the next time she spoke with him, she'd be ending it...their relationship. She stumbled her way to her bathroom and shut the door behind herself. Halfway through her shower, she began crying and couldn't stop. She hung on to the wall of the shower stall, sobbing, uncontrollably. The days in the life of this cop had gotten incredibly harder.

She still loved the man...

* * *

The 1935 version of the film _Crime and Punishment_ was on TCM. Kono's T.V. was blaring way. She was on her sofa, sitting up, but had dozed off. Peter Lorre's character, Raskolnikov, was going on about how 'above' the law he felt he was, when Kono's doorbell rang.

It rang many more times until it achieved its desired effect, bringing Kono to the door.

Before asking who it was, she had the odd sensation of not knowing what day or time it was. It felt late in the day, about five or six in the afternoon. Then she remembered...Adam, lunch, the sting, sadness.

"Kono, are you home?"

It was Steve. She tore the door open. The anxious look on her face asked 'the question,' the only one that had preyed on her mind.

McGarrett nodded. "Yeah. We got him."

Kono's lower lip shook a little, but enough for Steve to notice. He made nothing out of it.

"Danny got injured. Noth-"

"Injured?" she asked sharply. "How bad?"

"He was wearing armor, but the bullet went through his arm. He's going to be fine."

"Who shot him?" Kono held her breath.

Steve felt her doing it. She hoped it had been some random criminal and not...

He decided he wasn't going to tell her.

"_Who_?" she fumed. Her nostrils were flared to punctuate her demand.

"Noshimuri..."

* * *

TBC

More to come...


	7. Chapter 7

Here's the next chapter; trying to be better at updating!

* * *

It was a little known piece of trivia. Danny was wild about Bird of Paradise flowers. He viewed the genus as one of a kind, as far as exotic plants went. Not your everyday variety of vegetation. Kono had brought several blossoms to his hospital room. It was the least she could do, she considered. Her guilt trip was alive and all too well. The pretty, colorful offerings were well arranged in a decorative pot inset with coral. She had placed her gift thoughtfully on the table beside his bed. He had received a boatload of cards, wishing him a speedy recovery. He was surprised that that many folks knew of his hospitalization.

The SEAL sure had a big mouth...

He was being kept overnight for observation, despite his avid protests and dire threats that he would kick any asses near enough unless they turned him loose. He was fine. He was hard-boiled Jersey.

He was told that they were just taking precautions. First thing tomorrow morning he would be released, barring any complications, which they did not expect. Glowering to beat the band, Danny submitted to being 'incarcerated' for argument's sake, as long as it was just for one night.

Kono felt so bad; her boyfriend had plugged one of her best friends. When she saw her soon to be ex, she was going to give him a whopping piece of her mind. She didn't want to think about breaking up with Adam because she didn't think she could do it just yet. Did that make her indecisive, wishy-washy? He, having worked for the Yakuza the whole time had also been intimately involved with trafficking babies.

Unable to forget about that, despite the way she still felt about Adam, Kono shut her eyes while standing close to Danny at his bedside. Was she supposed to cheer him up, feeling as blue as she did?

Ms. Hawaiian Sunshine was heavily overcast.

He was smiling; she just couldn't.

Danny took his cue.

"You think this is something, Babe? This ain't nothin' but a nick." The brash young cop, a little worn around the edges, grinned at his moping teammate. "You wanna see something wicked...check this out."

Throwing modesty to the wind, he hiked the hospital gown high up on his left thigh. Just high enough for Kono to see a healed gouge in the skin of his right butt cheek that had required many stitches.

Kono blushed, seeing more of him than she ever had, and noting how white, yet firm, his derrière was in contrast to the tan he had somehow gotten. She suspected that his daughter had a lot to do with his darker pigmentation.

Danny laughed, as brash as ever. "Like somebody took a huge bite out of my lily-white ass. All it's missing are the jagged edges. Shoot it hurt like hell when it happened."

She grimaced then, unsure of what to say.

"The horse I was riding that day in Prospect Park, in Brooklyn...me and some friends had cut class that spring day. But, I digress. That nag and I had a _huge_ difference of opinion. And he had the hooves to back it up. Proving that when it comes to horses, I didn't know squat."

"You never rode again?" Kono asked, sounding curious.

"As soon as I could sit without yelling, I went back and rented the same beast."

That made her laugh.

Her laughter made him more spirited.

"He kicked me where the sun don't shine with feeling. Left his battle scar on me to this day, my equine tattoo, I'll have till I die." He patted his most recent wound and upped his grin. "So this, like I said, is nothin'. A scratch."

"I'm sorry, Danny."

"Did you pull the trigger?"

"I've been dating the lowlife who did."

"C'mon, Kono, you didn't know who the guy was when you first met him." Danny looked circumspect when he injected, "Steve got me way up to speed on why you couldn't be in on the takedown."

Kono couldn't help hang her head down in shame.

"Quit doin' that will ya. You're givin' me a complex. How long have we known each other?"

"Next Friday, next month, it will be a little over two years. _Hele mei hoohiwahiwa_."

"Come again?"

"We should celebrate."

"See, now that's the spirit. We're _ohana_, right?"

Kono nodded with her beautiful smile, getting stronger. Danny just made her forget inconvenient stuff without really trying. He was amazing like that.

"It was so silly-me letting things go too far with Adam. I wasn't thinking. Once I knew. Somehow, I thought I could be in a relationship with him, in spite of who he is, and work with a clear conscience. Keep the two things separate. Him and I, him and what he does."

She looked away from Danny, but he caught up her hand. "Look at me."

Still looking away, Kono carelessly shook her head that she could not. Tears pricked her eyes, and flustered, she thought seriously about fleeing from his semi-private room. At the moment, no one occupied the parallel bed to the right.

Danny applied slight pressure on her hand.

Gradually, Kono came around. Danny's eyes were kind. Hers had dark circles beneath them.

"It's not as bad as you're making it out to be, Surfer-G."

He had taken to calling her that. Having first been introduced to her at the beach, while she had been doing her thing, by Chin, her self-proclaimed protector, had left an indelible impression on Danny's fertile mind. Surfing's loss was law enforcement's clear-cut gain. Kono had a gift for what he had been doing with his life for all these years. She was a natural. Every time they were paired together, _he_ learned something and that was rare for him to admit to.

"Look, Kono. We live, we learn. We get back on the horse." He regrouped. "Yo-this is none of my business, whatsoever, like I don't know. But..." He poked out his lips and put it out there. "Did you and him hook up?"

She kept searching herself. What had made her think that she was unique in this respect? "No." It was a relief to admit that. "We, well, I mean, he wanted to take it to that level...but." She looked sure of herself. "I wasn't ready to go there. Not yet."

"Y'think maybe it was a sixth sense tipping you off, warning you to think twice before getting too serious about the guy too fast?"

"I love Adam, Danny." Unwittingly, she looked and had sounded guilty. "I was heading in that direction."

He regarded her, his eyes still kind. "So, you see yourself with him, then."

"I only see that it's a mess and I don't know how to make it right." She sighed, tired of having to deal with this much emotional aftermath. "I wish I had never gone to that damn party."

About to say more, Danny held off when the door of his room burst open and Grace came tearing through. She raced to the bed and hugged her father, with balloons, candy and a teddy bear all in her loving arms.

"Danno! Are you all right?"

"Yes, Monkey. Daddy's better than all right." He winked at Kono and her grin wasn't forced. His voice took on a more serious tone. "Who brought you?"

"I did." Steve was standing by the closed door, glad that he had been given permission to bring her to her brave father's side. "Rachel said it was okay."

He wanted to go to Kono and gather her into his arms.

Danny hugged his child back, very bearishly, considering his arm was sore. With Grace in his arms, he hardly felt it. "Nice. Very nice."

"Hey, I'm gonna take off."

"No. Stay, Kono, don't go," Steve voiced. "It feels right all of us together."

He was right, it did, but she had to go take care of what she had started. She had to go now.

She wouldn't rest until she saw Adam to get his side of everything.

"Kono, you're back on the team."

That halted her swift exit from the room. "For real?"

"I spoke with the Governor." Steve smiled from ear to ear. "He said there would be no investigation made by IA. You did nothing wrong."

_Except maybe followed your heart to a place it should have never gone in the first place. I should have fed your heart more clues...I still want that chance so it leads you to me..._

"Noshimuri's behind bars and should be for a long time to come. If he doesn't worm his way out on a technicality. Doesn't look like that'll happen. He was caught dead to rights."

"I have to go."

"Where?" Steve insisted.

"To Adam."

When the three left behind looked at each other with Danny saying, "Either she kisses that loser off, or it's gonna get a whole lot more interesting with Five-0."

Grace began feeding Danny chocolates, the ones with caramel in them. She had one of the 'Get Well Soon' balloons tied to Danno's ear.

Steve had a faraway look in his eyes. Would Kono wait for Noshimuri? Or, would she realize that the man who longed to make her happy would wait for her forever.


	8. Chapter 8

More for your enjoyment, hopefully... Thanks for your readership! I don't own these heartwarming characters...

* * *

Kono read Steve's text message again. He wanted to know if she needed anything. She was waiting for Adam in the inmate visitation room at the facility where he was being held. She was nervous, and really didn't know what she was going to say to him. Her forehead wrinkled. What she wore, namely a beige t-shirt and a pair of loose fitting straight leg dress pants, conformed to the standard dress code for visiting an inmate. She wore no jewelry.

What she texted back read: _I'm fine. I could use a shoulder, not to cry on, but to hold onto after the visit. If you wouldn't mind lending yours..._

Steve simply texted: _You've got it. I thought you'd might never ask. Call me when you're done._

That made her smile and when she looked up from her phone, Adam was seated at the window behind the thick glass. He indicated that she should pick up the phone so they could talk.

"Hey..."

That was all that he said at first. His smile looked thin, matching his voice.

Kono returned the clipped greeting, then asked, "Are you all right?"

"So far. But it's no mystery the reputation these places have."

She nodded. She knew far better than he knew she did, at this stage. She was about to enlighten him.

"Adam...I know why you're here. How this has happened..." She sighed, finding it hard to keep her eyes riveted to his. "I'm sorry."

Looking very surprised, with his eyebrows raised, he queried, "How could you possibly know?" Sounding a good deal more incredulous, he pressed, "How did you find out I was here?"

Swallowing first, then taking a deep breath, Kono told him, "Because of what I do, which I never told you. That was wrong. I should have. You told me who you are. I'm a cop, Adam. I'm a member of Five-0, one of the task forces that busted you. I was assigned to go undercover, posing as the wife of the man who is my boss. You and your front woman, Luna, would try to sell a baby to. My involvement with you cost me that assignment. I was pulled at the last minute. The woman who posed, instead, was my replacement. It should have been me, not her..."

Kono's toneless voice caught in her throat, which had gone very dry.

"Bringing you to justice."

Noshimuri sat across from her, speechless. His lifeless stare, with dead eyes, made Kono want to jump up and pace, back and forth with her arms hugging herself tight. She stopped thinking like that, though. This was no time to get hysterical. She was confused as all get out.

"Kono, please. You have to understand..."

"What? That being the head of the Yakuza gives you the right to peddle babies, Adam?" Her voice shook. "Is that what your father would have wanted?"

"Leave my father out of it, Kono."

"That's your answer."

Adam's voice hardened. "Why didn't you tell me who _you_ are, instead of pretending that being who I am made no difference?"

Her eyes skidded off his antagonized face. When she put them back where they belonged, it hit her. She had deceived herself into thinking that who he was, and what he did didn't matter. He had shown himself to be someone she could love, but was loving the head of the Yakuza something she could live with? Kono shook her head and shut her eyes. Adam's voice growled in her ear that had the receiver plastered against it.

"Should we have let things go so far, Kono? Was falling in love a mistake?"

She held her breath, tears forming in the corners of her eyes. They were in love, but was it right for her, turning a blind eye to what he did?

"Kono..."

She shuddered.

"I'm sorry too." Adam wanted to hug her, but he doubted that his doing that to her would happen ever again. If she couldn't accept him for not only who he was, but also for what he was in charge of, then they weren't a good fit. Could he give it up for her? Could she give up what she was, for him? They really were from opposite poles, from a spectrum that was too diametric. And now, he was looking at doing some very hard time that would do nothing to absolve his conscience.

Yet, his heart told him that, after he paid his debt to society, or escaped somehow, if she demanded that he forsake the notorious crime syndicate, could he? Was it what his father would have wanted?

"Adam, I-"

The voice behind Noshimuri interceded and time was up.

A half an hour had never felt so short, Kono judged. Looking and feeling defeated, she slowly rose from her chair. Adam pressed his hand up against the glass, hoping that Kono would return the gesture. Without giving it a second thought, she did.

"Tell me next time," he hurriedly put out there.

Kono eyed him, looking everything she hadn't been able to say.

(())

Steve sat on the front steps of Kono's house waiting for her. It was nearly ten at night. Her street was so peaceful, and calming he thought as he finished texting her. She would be home soon. His heart beat faster just thinking about that. It was discovery time. He also realized that if she couldn't talk about what she was feeling, experiencing, he wouldn't push.

He was here for her, whatever that translated into.

He gazed up at the quasi-dark blue-dusky sky, comforted by the tranquility and expansiveness of the firmament. Anticipating her arrival, he eagerly monitored every car that rolled down her street. Not that he didn't know what car she drove. He was just very nervous. His stomach felt tied up in knots.

He scrubbed his face with his palm and then trained his eyes on the street beyond her property. He wanted to start surfing with her again. He wasn't clear on what had halted their arrangement for getting together at Ala Moana to shoot those gorgeous curls on the weekends when they were free. Kono surfed the way everyone breathed, effortlessly, when not under duress. Once they had even ridden a wave, sharing a board and it had been one of the best things that he had ever done off dry land. Another time, still on a single board, of course, she had been on his shoulders, riding one in.

Steve smiled, those memories tender ones. He wanted many more with her.

Before he could think any more, Kono was pulling up at the curb. He watched her sit in her car, not making a move to get out. He stayed where he was, not even waving, content to give her all the time she needed if she needed to pull herself together...to face him.

She got out of the Chevy.

Steve stood up and waited.

Kono walked up to him, a bemused expression was on her face. As instinctively as impulsively, Steve reached out with his arms to her.

Not hesitating, she walked into them. She was home.


	9. Chapter 9

Kono's day started out fairly well. There was last night to think about. An aggregation of emotions had her stopping what she was doing, which was making French toast out of Hawaiian sweet bread. Steve had stayed quite late and they talked. She had done most of the talking. It had felt good to get out most of what she'd been feeling these past few days. Riding emotional roller coasters weren't high on her list of things to do.

Turned out, Steve was the best listener she could have ever hoped for. He never interrupted once, just listened...and rubbed small circles against her back. He would make soothing sounds when it got hard for her to express herself coherently. He hadn't offered to stay, told her if she needed him, he was a text or a phone call away.

He was there for her...

Kono sighed as she plated her food. After pouring herself some guava juice, she went into the living room to eat and watch the News on T.V. It was nearly fifteen minutes after seven in the morning. She tuned in the program she usually watched. Hungrily, she started in on her Hawaiian style French toast. Several minutes passed and the News turned local.

When the report aired that all charges against Adam Noshimuri were being dropped, Kono nearly choked on her juice. The report went on to relate that he would be going to Japan for an indefinite period of time. A report came on about local fishermen having lower than normal catches of albacore as opposed to a year ago.

Kono had zoned out long before the report finished by saying that overfishing of the world's oceans was a growing threat to the planet's seas. Bad days weren't exclusively hers. Here she was again, being shoved onto the emotional roller coaster ride for as many times. It so sucked.

Having lost her appetite, she was about to put her dishes in the sink when her phone signaled that she had a call.

"Not now," she said to the empty house.

The caller wasn't taking no for an answer. Her insistent phone kept up its demand for being answered. Seeing who it was won it for the phone.

"Hey." She nodded, then replied, "Yeah. I know. Just saw it on the News." She paused for the Boss. The gloomy expression began brightening as her face softened. "I'm back with the team..."

Steve confirmed that she was. Denning had rescinded her suspension, said it hadn't been done to punish her, but to protect the takedown.

"Why are you giving me the day off..." She hesitated, not knowing if what had happened between them last night warranted her using his first name. Just because they had talked like intimate friends didn't make it a reality this day. "Uh huh. I'm still here, Bo-Steve."

He told her why he thought she could use it. _If_ they caught a case, then _maybe_ he would tell her to come in.

"Okay. It's cool."

He asked her what she might do.

"Wrap my head around all the stuff that's made my life one big puzzle these past few weeks."

He assumed that she would go surfing.

Kono told him where she might go.

Steve said that her idea and the place she chose was a great one. He asked if she minded if he joined her a little later on.

Kono shot one of the windows next to the front door a dazed look. She really thought about his suggestion. There was definitely a vibe she was getting from him. Was it the kind she thought wise to encourage? She halted all thinking about her superior and herself getting emotionally involved.

She was getting another call. "Hold on," she told Steve.

It was Adam...

He was calling her all the way from Japan!

Kono frowned, feeling freaked. "Adam..."

"Kono. You have every right to hang up, but don't. Please. Just hear me out."

"Why Japan?"

"I need time away from the islands. Time to think and figure out what I really want to do with my life. If I'm more than Hiro's son, who is supposed to fill his shoes."

Kono scrubbed the back of her neck with her hand. The bit of breakfast that she'd had felt heavy in her belly, making her feel nauseous. If this is what morning sickness was like, she'd pass.

"Is that what you want, Adam, filling your father's shoes? Even if the fit's bad?" Her gaze turned compassionate, her vision riveting.

"That's what I've got to find out, Kono. Work it out for myself...with your help."

She heard him suck in air, waiting for him to continue.

"Join me here, Kono...in Japan. I need you. Please. Think about it. Don't give me your answer right now, if you can't. But, give yourself a chance to think about coming here. Being with me. I need you..."

Kono yearned to punch something, preferably Adam, in his gut. How could he ask her to run away to him? She winced, thinking back to the conversation Steve and she had had. Choices were hard, but inevitably had to be made.

It came down to this: Go to the man she had fallen in love with, but didn't know as well as she thought she did now. Or, stay here and find out if she should love another man who would not only have her back, but cherish it. Adding to all of this was the pledge she had made at her graduation from the police academy.

"...To serve and protect."

Sighing into the phone, and shaking her head she told Adam, "I have to go."

"I'll call again. Later. Not later today. I know you need your space."

"Tomorrow, call..." Kono told him, sounding tired. "I guess..."

She thought it was a wonderful idea going back to bed, just throwing covers over her head to drown in them. It was safer than being in waves.

"'Bye, Kono. I'll call then. Love you..."

With Adam's call ended, she got back on with Steve.

He wanted to know if everything was all right.

Again, Kono just shook her head and stared at the floor. "I have to go. I'll talk to you later."

Steve asked if he could meet up with her at the beach, the lovely white sand beach that had waves for days.

Slowly, she replied, "If you want to. I'll look for you."

She made him happy having said that. He said goodbye and ended the call.

Kono went to her bedroom, sat on the edge of her bed and thought about nothing. It was easier to.


	10. Chapter 10

This is the last chapter for this installment. I will be starting up something fresh in the coming weeks. A big, sloppy thank you for all who have hung in with this little fic... I had a blast! Hugs...

* * *

She was playing this game with herself.

If he showed, then he really cared. If, after several hours, she wound up shooting curls solo, then she'd pack up her board and head home. He had made the offer merely being polite. There was no point in hoping. He was extending concern because one of his team members needed support, nothing more...

What was she thinking? The boss of Five-0 having feelings for her, being 'shippy with her?

Dreamily, Kono lounged on her favorite rock at this particular beach. She gazed out at the hypnotic ocean of the lovely white sand beach. The proud waves were superb today. A number of surfers were using them to do the awesome things that they did. The waves she had such passion for and the hotdoggers were lifting her out of her funk. The waves possessed such power in so many ways. She was moments away from reveling in them, but she held off.

There was something _she_ had to do first.

Her decision was made. She reached into the back pocket of her cutoffs that were lying off to the side for her cell phone. She hefted the device in her hand for a moment. The moment suddenly felt surreal. She speed-dialed, her stomach clenching in anticipation for hearing his voice. It would be for the last time, she kept telling herself, reinforcing that she must be strong.

"Hello...Adam..."

There was rejoicing in his voice when he said her name.

"_I'm_ calling _you_. I don't want to drag this out. There's no need to."

This was so hard. She had faced harder things, though. She'd get through it.

Kono told him that she would not be going to Japan. There wasn't going to be a future with him.

He was silent for several moments, distraught. His tone said so more than what he said.

Kono let him get it all out. What he felt for her, how much. He needed her in his life, wanting to make one with her. She was all he thought about. His purge was cathartic for her as well. As he continued, she realized that giving him a chance struck a chord. She had been willing to get involved with him, even taking it to the next more meaningful level, because she was tired of being alone. The man she might have seen herself with was unattainable. He was a friend, nothing more. She was beginning to think that maybe it could be enough, to be that to him. If she could not be his best friend, she'd be a good one. She would settle for that, to be with him, not apart.

"I can't leave my life here behind. Adam, I'm sorry. I've worked too hard. I'm not asking you to understand, nor forgive me. I must do what's right for me. Travel another path." She couldn't bring herself to say that what she was choosing could not include him despite its breaking her heart.

In time, perhaps it would mend with another's loving help. Right now, she had to be firm. She didn't know what more to say.

Adam demanded to know if she was still there.

"Yes," she admitted, sounding faraway. She anchored her hand at the base of her neck, weighing it down. Surfing with a head beginning to ache was a loopy idea. Stubbornly, she felt she had to. Sometimes, despite feeling rotten, hitting the surf was just the thing to make all the bad go away.

She would go it alone, as she usually did. She had surfed on her own long before she knew that a Steven McGarrett existed, _such a complex, incredible man_, Kono thought.

Adam needed to see her again; he was insistent.

"Please...Adam. I can't."

She knew that he was making this hard for a reason. He really loved her. It wasn't difficult to tell and no cinch to relinquish. They hadn't been intimate, but he made her feel that they had been. Though fleeting, they had shared memorable times. Quite a number of them would be hard to forget. A part of her would never be immune to him. The more he spoke, though, it truly dawned on her that if she had immersed herself in him, the relationship would have been suffocating.

Again, she thought of the singular man who would never do that to her.

When Noshimuri returned to Oahu, he was going to see her, he vowed.

"I wish you wouldn't. We can never be the way we were about to be. I let it go too far."

Did she love him, he entreated with fervor that scalded her.

"A part of me always will," she truthfully settled.

When he said that he would give up the Yakuza for _her_, establish himself as a legit businessman, Kono forgot how to breathe. She fought with her emotions, not having the heart to tell him that even if he gave it up to walk the straight and narrow, she no longer felt completely the same. She had boarded the 'Adam train,' knowing that she felt something strong for another who was constantly on her mind and in her heart as one-sided as it may have been.

The wiser voice in her head had warned her about accepting a substitute not being the wisest thing, but she had ignored her internal meddler. Chagrin was a troublesome thing. It really was possible that love could be multi-faceted and just as strong for one person while pursuing and willing it with another.

That flash of revelation jolted Kono.

"I'm...I'm...sorry. I, I can't. Goodbye."

Upon ending the call, Kono shuddered, her eyes brimming with tears. They went unshed; she blinked them back. She felt a lot of uncomfortable things. After several deep breaths and staring at the ocean like it was paradise, she jumped from the rock to grab her board. It steadied her shaky hands. What would do it for her heart?

"Don't tell me I'm too late!"

Kono's heart pounded back to life.

"You made it."

"I said I'd catch up with you. Didn't I?"

She nodded, all set to burst, full of excitement-laced expectation. How could seeing the one man she most wanted to see fill her to the brim with a kind of joy she thought only existed in melodrama.

"It's breaking out there just perfect," Steve said, giving her an appreciative eye. She did wonders for any bathing attire she wore. Kono was the surf lingo definition for the ultimate in a hot surfer chick..._An Emma_. Currently, she was wearing a light sapphire-blue wet suit. Its color made her beautiful coloring stand out in a way that dazzled him. "The sets are bitchen."

"Yeah. Just the way I like it," Kono agreed. "Let's hit it, SEAL-guy."

"You don't have to tell me twice, Coolphonic. I'm your wingman. Let's rip."

When Steve smiled, the warmth of his smile rivaled the sun's. When Kono returned his smile, the sun was outdone.

"C'mon," she invited, leading the way into the sea. Her hair was down and the sea breeze was combing its gossamer fingers through it.

Steve thought about doing that himself at some point, if Kono let him. Maybe later she would. Her hair was like what catnip is to frisky kitties...irresistible.

"You're just trunkin today."

"Yeah. If the water's really cold, I'll take a few sets and then come up on the beach and warm up." He almost let slip, _Or you could help warm me up too. Either way, it's a win, win..._ He kept motioning her on to the water.

They entered the surf together and paddled out, perfectly in synch with each other, matching stroke for stroke, as though they had been surfing buddies for years. Anyone could easily think that they were tight in the surfer sense of the word. Kono caught sight of a beaut, paddled a bit, timed her standing up and rode it for as long as she cared to before kicking out. Clichéd to describe her in action, it may have been, but she truly was poetry in motion.

Steve watched her reverentially, sighing deeply. When she was back with him, he couldn't speak right away, still affected by her aura. He whistled, sublimely and low.

"What are you waiting for, Kahuna? Get some," she provoked, splashing some water at him. Her face glowed in full radiance.

"Yes, Boss." He squinted, then laughed. One for him was on its way, a mountain of swift, gorgeous water bearing down on the pair. "Come with?"

"Nope. This one's all yours, hero."

"I'm not a hero."

"Can't fool me."

"Just like hangin' loose." He didn't dicker. "All right, bad-ass. Ka-ching, Crippler-Chi!"

Kono waved him on his way and he took it with consummate style, carving the _cron_ of a wave righteously, showing her the money, as it were.

The equisite Hawaiian beaty clapped when he finally kicked out. He made her head spin and set it aright at the same time. Was there a shadow of a chance that he was attracted to her? She could not help wondering for as many times.

It went that way for a long while they were out there, taking turns catching waves, which were totally sweet and juicy, rolling, wet awesomeness.

When the sets hit a lull, it gave them time to talk astride their gleamy boards. Kono, now _cowabunga_, and mellower than when she first arrived at the beach, felt free enough to tell him what Adam had wanted from her and what she had told him. The dishy appearance of Steve's eyes deepened her peace. His facial expression cooed to her.

"You're your own woman, Kono. No one can change that. No one has the right to make you change. No matter how much they love you. True to oneself, first and always."

His words of wisdom sank into her heart with the force of a pile driver. "I can't leave behind what makes my life worth living. I want to have someone, but I can't leave myself behind in the process."

"Y'got that right." His heart fluttered. He was on the verge of telling her that with him she'd never have to, that he'd do whatever she wanted him to do, but the waves were setting up again.

Steve asked her for a favor and she asked what it was. They took a single wave together. He ditched his board so they could use hers. He had in mind her sitting atop his shoulders while he 'drove.' Kono called him crazy, but she agreed to do it. They took the _fattest_, most _crucial_ wave in and called it a day.

On dry land, and overcome by how he felt, Steve wrapped Kono up in his arms. She let him without so much as a, 'Hey, what gives?' The unique coupling of his intensity with his gentleness was what she wanted. It was the best they had ever surfed together. It had been surreal, but in the best of all possible ways. They stood in the embrace long enough for him to ask her if she might like going out for a drink with him sometime, dinner too, if she were hungry enough.

He felt her heart beat mightily against his chest; his was doing the same against hers.

Flustered, but not phased, Kono said that she would be delighted to, 'sometime.' They sat on her favorite rock and watched the sunset, sitting side by side, skin pressed against wetsuit, very close together.

As naturally as the tide went out, Steve's fingers tangled in her hair. "Stay with me, Kono." It was said more mentally than audibly.

She dared to hope that maybe her someone was sitting right next to her. It was too soon for her to think like that, but the errant thought was knocking around in her head. How could she help it when Steve put his arm around her shoulders? Then he coaxed her to lay her head on his shoulder...where it just felt right.

He grinned and looked beyond the blue, darkening horizon.

Kono shut her eyes and just breathed...it all feeling so real, at last.


End file.
